September 3, 1917-2017
This date, September 3, 2017, marks the 100th birthday of my father, B-17 pilot Lt. Donald R. Christensen.
Unfortunately, he only got to live about one-quarter of those 100 years. He was killed on March 2, 1945, at age 27, when his plane was shot down over Czechoslovakia. Only the tail gunner survived, and he spent the last two months of the war in Stalag 17. My father was part of the 398th Bomb Group, 603rd Squadron based in Nuthampstead, England. He was one of over 26,000 airmen of the Eighth Air Force in England who were killed during WWII. More airmen with the Eighth Air Force in England lost their lives during the war than the entire Marine Corps, whose enrollment included 250,000 more people. He is interred at Rose Hills Cemetery, Whittier, California.
I was 2 1/2 years old when he was killed, and my brother Steve was born three months later. So we have lived for over 72 years with this loss and memory. In 1951 we received his posthumous medals at a ceremony in Long Beach, California.
Today, dozens of his descendants, covering four generations, pay honor to the service and memory of Donald R. Christensen.
|
Son Jeff tending grave site. |
|
My granddaughter Nicole last Memorial Day. |
People of the Czech Republic, including several friends of ours, were instrumental in erecting a beautiful memorial to him and his crew near the town of Slany, where his plane crashed. In 2010, Steve and my son Jeff and I returned to the Czech Republic and, with the aid of GPS and a metal detector, were able to find the crash site and recover several pieces of B-17 wreckage.
For another view of this historic day, check out Don Milne's blog at ww2fallen.blogspot.com
On your 100th Birthday, rest easy Pops!